THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2025 59 Earning American Credentials Abroad Lauren Steed, PhD, is an independent college consultant with more than 20 years of experience in postsecondary education. A Foreign Service family member, she supports FS families and other Americans abroad in the search for their best-fit educational options. She is the author of College Conversations: 25 Discussions for High School Juniors and Their Families. You’ve grown up abroad, changing schools every few years, and you like that. Maybe you feel ready to take on the world. Your idea of adulting isn’t just learning how to live without your parents scheduling your days; it’s learning to navigate new languages and grocery stores without the security of an American school or diplomatic visa. Or maybe you’re not interested in spending four years to earn a degree you could in three or spending $200,000 for a degree in the U.S. that could be nearly free overseas. Maybe you’d just rather be one flight away from the post where your family will be stationed. Whatever your motivation, you’re considering applying to universities outside the United States. But you’re also worried about taking this road less traveled. And you worry that your international degree might not translate to a career in the United States. There are several ways to enjoy an American university experience abroad while earning U.S.-recognized credentials that don’t require credit translations and credential evaluations. The most common option is to study abroad for one year or one semester as part of a U.S. degree program. You can go in your third year, as is most popular, or Some Foreign Service kids want to stay overseas for college. What to do when a study abroad semester isn’t immersive enough? BY LAUREN STEED start abroad and move to the main campus after your first or second term. Or you can opt for a summer abroad, a January term, or even a class trip—travel with the archaeology class for a one-week excursion to a dig site in the Mayan jungle, for example. You might spend a year aboard a ship, visiting many different ports; undertake a guided internship in an international corporation; or visit a branch site of your own school. This classic way of experiencing a new culture is easy to plan and offers a soft landing for students who’ve never been abroad. But it’s not cheap: You will still pay American tuition rates. And some Foreign Service kids are ready to go beyond the traditional study abroad format. In deciding what’s right for you, think more about what you want to get out of your college experience and consider the following. ISTOCKPHOTO/OLEGSNOW EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT
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